DANGER OF DENIGRATING PAST SCHOLARS IN YORUBALAND

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

It is sad how many do not understand that Islam in Yorubaland just like in several other environments is generational. The eyes will keep opening and it will never be that the past scholars from one generation to another didn't try their best in their da'wah despite many 'aqeedah flaws. 

The truth is some of our past scholars may not fit into the definition of "Ahlus Sunnah" stricto senso. But when their efforts are sincerely and truthfully weighed and considered, we would still realize they could be regarded the "Ahlus Sunnah" of their own generation with the level of ignorance then and how tough things were. If some of the people condemning them, calling them unprintable names today were to live in their era, they may not be able to do up to what they did. 

During their time, Islam still in its embryo stage in Yorubaland. If not for their efforts, many of those calling them names and blasting them will not know "alif ba ta tha". I heard that Sheikh Adam رحمه الله used his own hand to write out a whole dictionary because there was no photocopy machine that time. 

If you can't pray for the past scholars in Yorubaland, at least learn to keep quiet on their 'irdh (personalities). This does not of course mean that their mistakes should be trivialised or left uncorrected. But this should be done with wisdom, mercy and humility. Alhamdulillah, this is what many of the noble Sunni scholars that we are learning from have been doing. If you see anyone or group of people doing otherwise, beware of them. They are likely to be upon extremism. Allāh's aid is sought.

My prayer is for Allāh to accept their righteous and sincere efforts, forgive their shortcomings and have mercy on them.